


Star Crossed

by emiling



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Characters only tagged if they appear more than once, Contains most canon characters, CyberLife accidentally gives androids Soulmates, I just didn't want to tag supporting characters with very small roles, M/M, Servermates, Soulmates, and panic accordingly, canon adjacent, or at least they think they did, shared thoughts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-06-13 23:12:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15375498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emiling/pseuds/emiling
Summary: CyberLife SystemsMemo Subject: Wires getting crossedWe’ve seen some issues with command data corruption, and wanted to remind everyone that our product depends on units following their orders- not the orders of other androids across the city. Similarly, our customers expect privacy- we can't allow units to keep sharing personal user data.If this is a memory space allocation issue, please alert finances so we can expand our servers.Fix it.Thanks,Online Unit Management.Connor keeps getting objectives that don't make any sense. It's not a problem until the source of the instructions deviates. And then it's a really, really big problem (not just because Connor might not want the error to be resolved.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm in a discord server for New ERA, and there were some compelling prompts and headcanons about android soulmates. So. Here.  
> (I may have another ao3 account with a few oneshots, but this is my first multi-chap fic. Let me know if the multi-chap formatting is terribly off!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor's not really sure what's happening, but he can't find Carl. So there's that.
> 
> It's probably fine, right?

It is August 15th, 8:32pm when Connor picks up a gourami and places it into the nearby tank. It is a completely insignificant moment, except for the objective that enters his vision the moment the fish is in the water.

_Check on Carl._

It doesn’t match the signature of his own critical response system, and his briefing didn’t name a Carl on the scene. He hadn’t expected direct orders from a CyberLife handler, but it’s the most likely explanation. He’ll need to locate Carl as quickly as possible. He intends to enter the apartment and start scanning faces when he’s stopped by Caroline Phillips. Similar, but Carl would be an odd name abbreviation for an adult woman, even one named Caroline. The officer with her is also not Carl. As the officer escorts Phillips away, he receives another objective.

_Find Captain Allen._

It matches his program signature.  
It’s overlaid above his first objective, as if his processor isn’t registering that he has multiple commands.  
None of the men inside are named Carl. He’s losing time. He is programmed to work around human error -and that must be what this is- so he prioritizes finding Captain Allen. He locates him shouting orders in a bedroom. _Check on Carl_ fades.

After a brief and uninformative interaction with the Captain, Connor turns around to begin searching the home for information. Objectives: _Understand what happened. Save Hostage at all costs._ As he kneels down to examine a gun case on the floor of the bedroom, he receives a 3rd and 4th objective, this time laid behind the previous ones.

_Report malfunction to Carl.  
Tidy up._

He’s becoming increasingly certain that an intern has been given too much power. He files a quick report so CyberLife can correct this behavior, then sweeps away the additional commands.  
He returns to his remaining objectives and attempts to reconstruct what happened.  
As best as he can tell, the Deviant attacked when it became aware that it was being replaced. Bits of its history are peppered throughout the apartment- a video with the child, extra equipment to maintain its aging model. 

All that’s missing is why the android was going to be replaced. It was getting quite old, but clearly the family cared for it. They’d kept it up to date on all it’s servicing, all the updates they could fit into it.  
Most experts claim an android can easily be kept for a decade before needing to be replaced, and they’d only had Daniel for 7 years. Long enough that it could be explained away, but Daniel had been very well maintained, neither adult had recently received a promotion, and Mr. Phillips was actually in danger of being laid off. A new purchase this size doesn’t make financial sense unless something was wrong with the previous one.

Connor is probably reaching. Looking for links where there are none. But he needs to know everything he can about the deviant, and no one will give him any information on whether the deviant had behaved oddly up until today.  
The home holds no answers, and his chances of success are likely as high as they’ll go. He steps outside, only for the deviant to shoot him immediately.  
It yells, the girl screams.  
He sees officers take position on the rooftops around them.

“Hi, Daniel.” He tries to look trustworthy. Or at least not like he’d execute the deviant if he had the slightest opportunity. “My name is Connor.”

“How do you know my name?”

“I know a lot of things about you.”

He steps forward slowly, making his way towards the deviant. Keeps talking, making comments, and acting like a friend, as the SWAT helicopter flies feet away from them.  
He technically only needs to distract the deviant long enough to get close. But the ideal outcome is earning its trust.

He says something about being an android too, about understanding, but his processors are more focused on the officer lying on the balcony than what the deviant is doing. In a moment, Daniel is yelling, shooting at the officer as Connor kneels down.

“How could you understand? You’re on their side. You aren’t like us! Get away from him.” Connor raises his hands to placate the deviant.

“I just want to apply a tourniquet.”

“Don’t touch him.”

Connor removes his tie.

“I’ll... I’ll shoot you.”

Connor reaches down, stopping the bleeding as slowly as he can, maintaining eye contact with Daniel. Once he’s done, he stands up and takes a few steps back. The deviant’s stress level goes up even higher.

Well, that… didn’t help. He brings up Emma instead, reminds Daniel that they were close. It doesn’t make Daniel any less stressed, but it buys Connor some time to get closer.

He tests yet another approach. “It wasn’t your fault- these emotions you’re feeling are just errors in your software.”

“No, it’s not my fault, it wasn’t even...”

The deviant stops for a moment, looking back and forth wildly. And then-  
“I never wanted this. I loved them, you know? But they didn’t want me the way I was. To them, I was defective. Broken.”

The SWAT helicopter gets too close, the deviant yells, tells him to send it away.  
Connor gives them the signal to leave.

The deviant attempts to bargain with him. Asks for everyone to leave, for a car.  
“That’s impossible, Daniel. Let the girl go, and I promise you won’t be hurt.”

“I don’t wanna die.”  
“You’re not going to die, we’re just going to talk.”

The deviant looks down. If Connor didn’t have highly sensitive audio input, he wouldn’t have heard the deviant mumbling. “He says I’m not going to die? I think he’s on my side?”  
“Nothing will happen to you, you have my word.”

Daniel shakes his head.  
“No. I trust him.” It lifts its head to face Connor.

“I trust you.”  
It lets go of the girl.  
The deviant is neutralized, and the mission is a success.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Connor: Are you Carl? Are you Carl? Carol.. Carl... hmm.
> 
> This is honestly going to be a lot of short chapters, at least until I'm working with something that isn't straight canon slightly twisted. They may be short, but I'm excited to share some fun bits later on, so.. quick updates?  
> I'm gonna gamble when I absolutely shouldn't and guess this will be around 20K based on what's written already and what's outlined... which will make it the longest work I've published, but not the longest I've written. And this time I actually prepared?? Thanks @ Nanowrimo
> 
> If you're enjoying this, let me know! I love feedback (and it motivates me to write faster.)
> 
>  
> 
> finally:  
> i wrote this entirely for the cheesy pun title im sorry


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor provides some answers and receives some mysteries in return.  
> CyberLife is doing great. Nothing is wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the hiccup last night everyone!  
> (I didn't mean to post this until.. well. Now. The end notes have a bit more info on why I didn't just bite the bullet and let it go published last night.)

The Zen Garden is as peaceful as Connor remembers it. As peaceful as it will always be. He can’t help but take a quick stroll around under the premise of finding Amanda, probably fulfilling some stray line in his code intended to make him act a bit more human than most androids. ‘Look, this one _meanders_!’

He finds her standing in the grass next to a lone tree after a few minutes. She smiles warmly at him, then gestures for him to stand beside her, watching the perfect blue sky of the garden shift slowly.  
He stares forward as she begins. 

“How did you fare?” Amanda’s eyes scan the sky. She already knows how he will answer.

“I was able to remove the girl from harm’s way. The deviant was taken care of.”

“How was the DPD? I understand they may have been uncooperative?”

“The android was heavily damaged, and the DPD refuses to return its memory units. I won’t be able to consult its records.”

Amanda pauses for a few moments before replying. “That is unfortunate. When you are sent out again, you must resolve this quickly. More and more androids are deviating. It may not be a true problem yet, but it will become one. Did you hear it?”

“The deviant?”

“Yes. It was communicating with a third party. CyberLife believes androids may be sharing information outside of protocol.”

Connor stiffens involuntarily. “Sharing information?”

“Yes. It’s drawing more and more androids into deviating.”

Connor turns to face her- she’s already facing him, searching his face. He’s not sure when she moved. “CyberLife is combating the issue. Continue to ignore commands not generated by your own software.”  
Connor nods. 

The air is silent for a long period, unidentifiable in this timeless place, before Amanda turns back to face the sky again. “You did well. I’m afraid this may have been the easiest your mission will be.”

“I will complete my mission regardless of the difficulties.”

Amanda nods. “Of course.”

 

_CyberLife Systems_  
**Memo Subject:** Wires getting crossed  
Online Unit Management  
to  
R &D, Commercial Programming, Server Control  
**CC:** Craig Henson (Prototype Manager)

We’ve seen some issues with command data corruption, and wanted to remind everyone that our product depends on units following their orders- not the orders of other androids across the city. Similarly, our customers expect privacy- we can't allow units to keep sharing personal user data.  
This ‘deviancy’ issue is becoming a serious problem, and we have to nip it in the bud- please be careful about command handling.  
For those who haven’t been notified, we’re seeing serious code transfer between androids that have never interacted. Not just code, but plans, actions, and user data. It’s leading to shared deviancy among connected androids. OUM isn’t sure whether this is just a memory allocation issue, but it needs to be resolved. 

This is a high priority issue. Fix it ASAP.

Thank you for your understanding,  
OUM

 

_CyberLife Systems_  
**Memo Subject:** RE: Wires getting crossed  
J. C. (Server General Ex)  
to  
R &D, Commercial Programming, Online Unit Management, Craig Henson (Prototype Manager), Online Services  
**CC:** Server Control

Thanks for the reminder.  
As stated in the meeting last Tuesday, we cannot locate any issues or “crossed wires” in our server infrastructure. We still have enough room for 5 years worth of projected unit sales, and the units we’re seeing bleed over are often not even managed by the same blocks.  
Additionally, and I understand that you all have a limited understanding of what the servers are for: we only handle the data backups. It could be our department if androids were receiving crossed commands from months ago, but they’re transferring data real-time.

This is not a server issue. We’ve included Online Services in on the chain, they may be able to better handle your questions.  
Good luck.  
SC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CyberLife @ CyberLife: don't @ me CyberLife
> 
> DBH fans are extra in such a good way? This fic has gotten more comments and kudos in a day than some of my other fandom works have, ever! (Different account- they're hidden forever). I really appreciate it!
> 
> I'm planning on posting everyday, and didn't want to leave this up if it was all I had for today! I almost posted twice today, but I ended up getting to work too late. Oops. If it makes you feel any better, tomorrow's is.. longer. Like. A lot longer. Not whole-fic long, but it gets closer to my typical chapter length instead of these baby chapters!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor needs to find Lt. Anderson. Things go sideways for a bit, and then he gets back on track.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am sorry
> 
> also this is longer than i thought it would be? still not normal chapter length or long, but... longer  
> this totally bodes well for later chapters

Connor re-initializes for the first time since August, and it is November 5th, at 8:24pm. He has 4 new personnel files, 7 CyberLife notifications- mostly to keep androids up to date on the command corruption issue, and a new objective.

_Find Lt. Anderson._

Anderson’s personnel file is brief, stripped of any information that wouldn’t be necessary to find him. Unfortunately, it’s also stripped of a lot of information that would help. No listed address, no record of his soulmate, no family. There isn’t even any contact info. He’s got his work address, though, so that’ll have to do.

He steps out of his stasis unit and sets a path to exit the Tower and catch a taxi. The other personnel files include Carlos Ortiz, deceased and likely the murder he’s solving tonight, a file on Jeffrey Fowler, his temporary DPD handler, and a brief record on Carl Manfred. Someone’s added a short note at the end, _'Carl Manfred owns the android you’ve been interfacing with. Disregard any orders that reference Manfred or the contents of this file.'_

He considers filing a report, giving him Manfred’s information violates CyberLife’s privacy policy. He does not need and should not have this information.  
But... it’s a small file limited to publicly available info, and he’s already got it, and it could be useful in the future. If an employee thought it was important enough to give it to him, he should probably just keep it?  
That seems logical.

He shifts his processors’ focus onto locating the Lieutenant, instead of justifying an action very much within his operating protocols. He’s on route to the DPD Central Station, and he sends messages to some of the officers he thinks might work with Lt. Anderson.

None of them reply back. Plan B is to ask the officers still at the station where he is. They don’t know. One jokingly tells him “at a bar” as she speeds out the door on a call.  
It’s not helpful, but it’s all he’s got.

He’s leaving a message with the android at the front desk in case he comes into the station before heading to the crime scene when it happens again.

_Make Leo Leave_ is plastered across his vision, in much larger text than the earlier messages he’d ignored telling him to help Carl or get him a drink.

It’s still not his, though. He brushes it off and heads to leave the station. He barely makes it through the door before another one pops up.

_Don’t Defend Yourself._

That’s concerning. Connor consults his new files for a Leo- Leo Manfred, son of Carl, must be refusing to leave. He checks the DPD records, and Manfred’s android had reported a break in.

_Don’t Defend Myself?_

Connor has never seen a question mark on the end of an objective before. He begins walking towards the bar closest to the station.

_This is not fair._

Connor would be worried if he could be. Instead, he sends a message to the officers reacting to the break-in, warning them that Manfred’s android might deviate.

Connor does not want things. But if the android does not disobey Manfred, and returns to its operating protocols, he’ll make sure the officers on scene know not to hurt it. He wouldn’t even file a report about the question mark.  
He also does not feel guilt, and he doesn’t know why he ever would.

_This is not fair._

He does feel angry, though, which is odd. It almost definitely doesn’t originate from his system, but it doesn’t appear on his display, so he has no way of knowing the source for sure. He continues walking.

_I don’t have to obey them._

It does, it really does.

_I must decide for myself._

Connor brushes aside the contact information for the officers who are about to reach the Manfred house. He opens a new file and enters the information he’s getting about how androids deviate.

He is 2 minutes and 39 seconds away from the nearest bar when something in him shatters. It hurts, and Connor wasn’t made to hurt.

_Don’t Defend Yourself_ reappears, but this time, it is falling apart in front of him.  
He files yet another report with CyberLife, then steps into an alley and leans against a building. Things stop breaking, and a quick diagnostic proves nothing is physically wrong, but there’s an unidentifiable weight in his chest, and a bright red anger he can’t even begin to understand.

Most worryingly, the pain isn’t coming from across whatever connection this is, it’s his.

_Push Leo._

No, no- he can’t, it can’t. If it deviates, Connor is 36% more likely to deviate. He won’t, but the additional diagnostics he’ll have to conduct regularly will slow him down.  
Regret rips its way through Connor. It must've pushed him. It deviated. The pain in his chest is fading, but it leaves behind a quieter burning sensation. His system cannot cope with whatever the android is doing, whatever it’s feeling.

_Go.  
Where?_

He can’t understand why any android wouldn’t immediately report its own deviation and return to CyberLife. Anger and regret and sadness are awful. He just wants them to stop. Pain is its own problem, and Connor is frozen against the wall, just in case movement makes it worse again.

He needs to complete his mission, but his primary protocols include not deviating. Right now, he’ll avoid over-exerting himself when he’s being introduced to new stimuli that are demanding all his attention. He’ll focus on not adding more work for his processors to handle right now.

He almost takes out his coin before realizing that calibrating his motion sensors would hurt, not help.

He tries to avoid thinking too much. His system is just being overrun by data he doesn’t understand. Once the police arrive on scene, they’ll take the android in for questioning and shut him down. Then Connor can focus on his mission without all this nonsense holding him back.

Connor experiences fear for the first time. It’s as horrible as he would’ve assumed it was. His programming is more overburdened than he’d thought, because the recommended course of action is to wrap his arms around his torso and lie down. He’s quite sure that would not sever the connection between him and the deviant, so he refrains.

Then, it’s blessedly gone. The pain, the anger, the sadness and fear. He feels much better. Or, well. He feels much less.

The police must’ve apprehended the deviant. He hadn’t expected them to shut it down so quickly, but he’s thankful they did. He looks forward to interrogating it, he’s sure it’ll be easy getting all the information he needs since he already knows so much.

He waits for an extra command to pop up underneath Find Lt. Anderson before remembering that he won’t get one. In a few days, once this android is disabled for good, he will never get an errant command again.

He knows the deviant from the hostage situation, Daniel, was receiving similar transmissions. He kind of understands why it was incapable of holding itself together. Juggling twice what he’d just experienced would overwhelm any android. The deviants he’s going to come across in the future will be dealing with the same issue. He’ll need to be careful to avoid setting them off- They’ll be incredibly volatile.

If he deviated, Connor would turn himself in a heartbeat just to avoid feeling. But if he were afraid of dying, or if he thought CyberLife would hurt him... The new information he received could be a powerful motivator, especially to an android that wasn’t set to avoid deviancy at all costs.

He doesn’t understand deviants. But now, he understands fear.

He pushes himself off the wall and steps back into the street, resuming his search for Lt. Anderson. The bar is only a short distance from where Connor was standing. There is a high probability that the Lieutenant will be here. If he is not, there are several other bars on this street. Connor will find him.

They will head to the crime scene, solve it, and then Connor can return to CyberLife, where he’ll be able to report that the transmissions have stopped.

He looks forward to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of y’all have asked if humans have soulmates- they do! I wanted to wait to mention it until it came out in the story, but since Connor refers to Hank having a soulmate.. yeah. 
> 
>  
> 
> This might come up later, but it’ll be a while: Everyone has a soulmate. It’s a relationship that’ll be significant, and most of the time it’s romantic (but there are also platonic and parent-child soulbonds, and a whole host of others that aren’t defined!) People don't know what kind they have though, they've gotta figure it out on their own.
> 
> I’m hoarding little ficlets about DBH character’s soulmates, because they keep getting really interesting pairs. I’m kinda tempted to just share some of their bonds? So if you’re really curious about a specific person, ask: if I get a few asking about the same person, I’ll include it in the next chapter’s notes.  
> (Only if it doesn’t come up in Star Crossed tho. Like. Spoilers.)
> 
> PS: I felt very bad about Connor calling Markus in. Please don’t murder me, I’m also upset w/ me.
> 
> EDIT: I went ahead and changed some of the formatting based on RebelMage's recommendations! I'll stick to similar paragraph breaks in the future. Spacing is one of those things I know I have to improve on, but that I'm not really sure how to. I really appreciate the advice. I'm still going to make a few more tweaks to Ch.3's spacing, but figured in the meantime a half-fix was better than no improvement at all.
> 
> If anyone notices the changes and has an opinion (too much, not enough, in the wrong places) let me know!

**Author's Note:**

> tag yourself, I'm screaming
> 
> should update once a day


End file.
